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Definition of tightwad

tightwad

/ˈtaɪtˌwɑːd/
tight · wad
Plural:tightwads
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tightwad Lexical Profile

tightwad Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A stingy or miserly person who is extremely reluctant to spend or part with money.

Example

"Despite earning a generous salary, he was such a tightwad that he always found an excuse to leave before the restaurant bill arrived."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for tightwad
Antonyms
View all antonyms for tightwad

• Nearby Words

tightness
tightrope
tights
tightwad
tightwire
tiglon
tigre

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in American English around 1900 as a compound of "tight" (meaning stingy or close-fisted) and "wad" (referring to a tightly rolled bundle of paper banknotes that a miserly person refuses to part with).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tightwad. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tightwad
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